Chapter 4
What you need is a Doctor (part 3)
Moving briskly towards the blue box stationed a few metres away, the Doctor looked expectantly towards Jack. "Well come on then!" He beckoned with his spindly wrist for the Captain to bring Ianto inside as he swung the door open.
Quizzically, Jack looked on and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not strong enough to carry him, I may be spritely but I hardly do weights in this incarnation now do I?" the Time Lord retorted glaring down at his stick like figure clad in blue pinstripes. "Still, not bad though, eh?" Eyes flashed back upwards along with a rather cheeky looking grin. "Well come on! Don't just stand there! I'll get her fired up!" he yelled as his lithe frame propelled itself in a run through the doors of the police box.
Confused only enough by this change of attitude of the Doctor's, to wonder where they were going, Jack simply shook his head and bent carefully down to pick the Welshman up in his arms. He shifted under the new weight as he gained footing before making his way towards the Tardis.
As soon as he entered he could already make out the frame of the Doctor almost jumping from control to control in a far too animated manner. He did wonder sometimes how the man in this form seemed to remain hernia-free.
"Okay..." the Doctor began in a distracted fashion, furrowing his eyebrows as a certain lever stuck. "Close the door behind you. Wouldn't want you flying out." Although this was impossible, as everything would be kept inside despite any doors being open, due to the wonderful Tardis' herself, Jack complied and nudged the inside of the door with his foot causing it to click into place. He knew how much the Docotr liked to keep up an appearance of professionalism. Walking forwards towards the central console, his boots clanked on the metal causeway as he walked with the added weight from carrying Ianto.
The other man now stood with one knee bent to his chest with his foot on the ledge of the central column, hands tightly gripped around the end of the lever as he tugged with what looked to by a mighty amount of exertion. Face contorted to a grimace, he called out in a strained voice, "you're gonna have to put him down somewhere Jack," he grunted. "My best bet would be across those two seat and strap him in," another grunt. "I'm gonna need your help with flying this thing for what I've got planned. And it could be a bit of a bumpy ride" He nodded his head towards the other side of the spherical console where there was what seemed to be two either car or aeroplane seats. "My guess, as he could wake up any minute is that it's better here with us as opposed to a strange room hidden in the labyrinth that is this place - AHA!" he gave a shout as the lever finally budged into place, the Tardis now giving off quite a contented hum. "Still, shame he couldn't have the grand entrance." The smirk was back on his face again, and he gave another nod towards the chairs as if for encouragement.
Navigating around the circular console Jack laid Ianto back down flat across the two 1960's style seats and leant around him to hook the two seat belts from above him to tuck under his body. "He is not going to be comfortable when he wakes up," the Time Agent remarked, noticing not only the way that the buckles seemed to be digging into the younger man's thigh and ribs but also the fact that from the knees down, his long body was having to dangle off of the make shift bed.
"Naaah, he'll be alright!" Again moving with a vigour far too energetic for his own good, the Doctor almost spun towards a rather large button. "You remember what to do?"
Jack moved closer towards the centre section, casting a look at Ianto, who admittedly did look quite peaceful and content laying there. But then perhaps that was just a side-effect of being unconscious. "How could I forget?" he grinned
"Great, I've plugged in the coordinates and we're all set, so..." pressing the big red button, he looked lovingly towards the large translucent pillar in the middle as she began to whir and spark into life, "here we go!"
The first movement had Jack gripping onto the nearest edge as she jerked, "and where exactly is where we're going?"
"All in good time Jack, don't be hasty! That's it that lever there! Excellent! Memory like an elephant you!" Not sure whether to be offended or feel as if he'd received a compliment Jack settled on just flashing his Harkness grin in hope that it would convey all that was necessary. He shot a quick look back to Ianto behind him, seeing how one of his arms had also slipped down off of the chair from the Tardis' movement, so that it now resembled the posture of his legs. Yep, he was going to be uncomfortable when he eventually came to.
"Oh and shouldn't you phone that lovely lady, you know the one, dark hair, lovely smile." The Doctor's voice was dripping with such sweetness when he said those words that had he been anyone else, Jack would've thought he'd actually be taking the piss. However, as it was the Doctor, amazingly, he probably wouldn't even know what that meant.
Slightly bewildered, Jack managed to get out a "well, yes – I mean, can I?"
"Of course Jack! Here!" He threwing a relatively new mobile, that he retrieved from inside a jacket pocket, from his side of the counter towards the American. The Docotr proceeded to yank at a few more handles and switches, even kicking a peddle down by his feet, not looking up once to see whether Jack had been able to catch the device.
Luckily he had however, and after a quick fumble, he managed to thumb in the number and lift the phone to his right ear, using his free arm to lean across and flick another switch on then off again.
Having picked up on the second ring, he was surprised to find Gwen pretty non-hysterical. "Hello?" came the reply to his silence, "Jack?"
"Yes, Yes I'm here. Doing fine. Ianto's okay, it would seem so anyway," he rushed. "I need you to do me a favour Gwen. Ianto. He has a sister. She's got two kids. Ianto – he won't be able to-"
"I'll do it," she cut him off, a sudden uplift in her voice before it sank back down again. "Jack I couldn't get through to Frobisher. The bastard, he's-"
"I know, I understand. Figured that would be the case anyway. It was a long shot. You sure you're going to be able to do this? Get Frobisher to get you back to Cardiff in one of the helicopters. I should still hold enough weight for that to be done for you, despite everything."
"I'll do it," she approved firmly of the request. "It's the least we can do, considering."
"Gwen it's going to be okay," he tried to reassure her, such a hard feat over the phone.
"You don't know that." She let out one of the heaviest sighs Jack had ever heard from the Welshwoman. "I'll go to Ianto's sister. Keep in touch." With that she cut off, obviously still feeling broken.
Jack looked back down at the phone in his right hand before acknowledging the Time Lord with a look once again. "Is it going to be alright?" he asked tentatively for confirmation.
"I wouldn't lie to you Jack. It gets fixed. You know I can't tell you how. But you don't lose, Captain Harkness. The human race will be thankful to you for saving their children." He looked on almost sadly towards Jack.
Heaving his own sigh, Jack gave a start as he experienced a rather large shudder from the Tardis herself.
"Oh!" the Doctor perked up as he felt her become stationary once more. "We're here! Excellent."
Hope to get the next one posted shortly, as I'm actually in the process of this one already... after receiving a couple of lovely reviews? Hint Hint. They really do make me right faster.